


Let Your Hair Down Sensei

by RaddDraggon



Category: Naruto
Genre: Armada Prompt, Drinking, First Dates, Fluff, Kakashi knows he’s hot, Let your hair down Iruka, Lost on the Path of Life, M/M, No Beta - We die as men, Pre-Relationship, Routine, Sushi, change is good
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2020-05-20 23:21:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19386517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaddDraggon/pseuds/RaddDraggon
Summary: Iruka notices that he has become too meticulous with everything he does in his daily life, that it is not healthy for a shinobi. He decides that he needs to change, and maybe Kakashi Hatake can help be that change.For the June Armada Prompt: rites/rituals





	Let Your Hair Down Sensei

For years, he had had the same routine everyday, with only a few minor switch ups here and there. Like sometimes instead of only eating ramen three days a week, he broke down and ate it a fourth time. In the mornings, on weekdays, he would wake up on the third snooze of his alarm, and roll out of bed on the right side. His house shoes were always waiting for him, on the cool rug under his feet. He would smack the alarm off, though not too hard, because it always threw off his schedule if he had to buy a new one. Once his slippers were snug on his feet, he would stand up and perform the same series of stretches that always got his blood pumping. 

The smell of coffee would bring him into the kitchen, having set the coffee maker to make the caffeinated beverage for him at the precise time every morning. It gave him three minutes to wake up a little more while standing at the counter, his hands wrapped around the steaming cup, until it was to a drinkable temperature. He drank it black and bitter, probably as bitter as his students thought he was. The thought brought a slight smirk to his lips, just before he knocked back the rest of his cup and set it down beside the sink. He would use the same cup for exactly three days, before washing it again. 

Next, was his allotted shower time. He gave himself ten minutes exactly, five for washing his hair and body, and the rest for just basking in the spray. He loved the feel of water, but he also hated the idea of wasting it on anything that wasn’t washing away mission grime, or...other activities off of his body. His toes squished in the wet bath mat under his feet as he counted down the last minute of his time. The knob of the shower squeaked as he turned it off, and he grabbed his hair towel, wrapping his hair up tightly in the cloth. He snagged his body towel and wiped himself down quickly, before tying it around his hips and going to brush his teeth. 

He noted he needed to buy a new toothbrush soon, replacing them every six months on the dot. He had tried to keep them longer, but the bristles just never lasted past that mark for him. After his teeth, came his hair. He scrubbed excess water away with his towel, before performing a small jutsu to dry it completely. He brushed it back with his Konoha issued brush, and then tied it back, looping his hair tie three times to get it just right enough to stay all day. He was almost ready to leave the house, the last thing he had to do to get ready, was to get dressed. His boxers came first, the Konoha leaf symbol printed all over them, then his uniform shirt and pants. He would wrap his leg wraps just on this side of too tight, because he knew they would loosen over the day. 

He would fasten his customary pouches on his belt, giving himself five minutes to check that each pouch was properly stocked. Then he would sit at his favorite seat in the living room to put on his standard issue sandals. First the right, then the left. The night before he went to bed, the storage scroll he kept all his school work in was laid out on the table by the door, ready for him to place it in the correct pouch of his flak jacket. He would zip his jacket up, just as he opened his door to let the beginning rays of sunshine hit his face. And then he would walk to the school, taking one of two ways. He knew it was strange for a shinobi to have such a fixed schedule, but for some reason he couldn’t help it. 

He hadn’t even realized he had become so set in his ways, until he noticed that it had become almost ritualistic in nature for him. He sighed softly and brushed his fingers over the back of his neck, the little hairs already starting their inevitable escape. Maybe, he should try to force himself to switch it up tonight? He looked up at the sky as he finished his walk to school, and contemplated things. Today was Friday, so that meant his friends would be going out drinking. Normally, he would turn their invitations down, but maybe tonight he should go? If he were being monitored by anyone, that would surely throw them for a loop. He nodded his head and smiled to himself as he walked into his classroom, with just enough time to lay out his supplies for the day and write out what needed to be on the chalkboard. 

“Whoa, Iruka, shouldn’t you be home, grading papers and working on your lesson plan for next week?” Kurenai’s red eyes were comically wide as she set her half empty drink on the table. Iruka had decided to come to one of the only bars in Konoha where chunin and jounin mingled. He felt his face grow hot at her comment, and brought his own drink up to his lips, shrugging his shoulders.

“I thought I could use a change. Haven’t been out here in awhile, and it seemed like a good idea. Don’t make me regret it.” He chuckled nervously, and watched as a grin spread across her mouth. Asuma walked up and slung his arm around Kurenai’s hips. His eyes opened wide as he took in Iruka’s presence, and he rubbed his eyes as if he didn’t believe them.

“I think we have a ghost in our midst. Where have you been hiding away, Iruka-Sensei?” Iruka groaned and pressed his hand into his forehead. He downed his drink and got up from the table to go order two more. If everyone was going to ask him where he had been, or why he was deviating from his normal schedule, he was really going to need copious amounts of alcohol to have a good time.

“Asuma, if you say another word about it, I will leave after pouring this cold drink down the back of your shirt.” The bearded jounin grinned at the threat, but instead of responding, he hung a new cigarette out of the side of his mouth and lit it. He remembered Iruka’s trouble making days, and all of the pranks he pulled on lord third, he wasn’t about to test the school teacher now. After that, less people asked why Iruka was around, and just shrugged their shoulders and went along with it. Iruka was about seven drinks in when a group of jounin entered the bar. A shock of silver hair caught his attention, and he licked his lips of the harsh liquid he had just downed. 

Kakashi Hatake had been one of the most annoying, irritating, frustrating, most attractive shinobi Iruka had ever encountered, and in the back of his mind, his brain was telling him that taking the man to bed with him would absolutely change his ritualistic routine. He watched as the copy nin strolled across the bar and ordered a drink with the other ninja he had entered with. But obviously Iruka was not doing a good enough job concealing his interest, because once Kakashi had his drink in hand, his one visible eye immediately locked onto Iruka’s. After a moment, Iruka was sure that Kakashi’s lips were stretched in a knowing grin under his mask. And then Kakashi was approaching him. 

“Hello Iruka-Sensei, haven’t seen you around here in awhile. Are you hungry? Because you look like you’re starving.” For me. He didn’t say the last part, but he and Iruka both knew what he meant. Iruka could tell that his face was on fire, but he knocked back his last drink, and then stood up. Kakashi was obviously way more sober than he was, but maybe they could spend some time sobering up together, before they actually got to the main event. Wow, he was definitely getting ahead of himself. He suddenly felt like he was a drowning man, and Kakashi was the only one in the room who knew he was. 

“Uh...yeah, I am pretty hungry. Would you...like to go get something to eat with me, Kakashi-San?” He watched as the copy nin’s grin got even wider under the mask, no mistaking it this time at all. The brunette shifted on his feet, his face burning from embarrassment and the alcohol pumping through his system. He didn’t really know what he would do after this, if kakashi rejected him. But it looked like he was in luck. The older ninja nodded his silver head, turned away to quickly pull his mask down and finish his drink that he had ordered. He put his mask back in place skillfully, and then reached out to grab Iruka’s wrist.

“I know a great sushi place. Quiet, and intimate. Let’s go on our date, Iruka-Sensei. Before you change your mind and decide you need to go grade papers and get to bed before 9.” The chunin blushed and sighed as he was dragged along, but couldn’t quite bring himself to argue. He knew that he was dumb for having such a routine, he could be putting many people in danger just by continuing on with it. He needed a change, and it really needed to be a drastic one, to make him stick to it. After getting over the embarrassment, he was able to focus more on what Kakashi had said. ‘Intimate’ and ‘Date’ has just come out of the man’s masked mouth. He was going on a date with the famous, infuriating, Kakashi Hatake. 

“So, I’m sure plenty of people already asked tonight, but I’m pretty sure you didn’t actually give a good answer as to why you’ve deviated from you rituals.” Things had started getting quiet as they sat to wait for their food, in what was indeed an intimate setting for the two of them, at the back of the sushi shop. Iruka flushed as the word ‘rituals’ was used, but he once again could not argue. He grabbed his pair of chopsticks and began to nervously roll them between his fingers. He was drinking water, and it was starting to help clear his head.

“Well, I realized this morning that it was getting dangerous. I was becoming meticulous, in even the smallest things. So, I decided today was as good a day as any to change that. I need something” he gestured around, not necessarily at kakashi, but the copy nin was not opposed to the idea. “To help throw a wrench in everything. Even if I say differently later on.” Iruka rubbed at the back of his neck, sighing deeply. He was starting to have second thoughts on changing things already.

Kakashi hmmed and leaned forward into Iruka’s personal space. He lifted his gloved hand to first brush the school teacher’s cheek, and then moved it back into the others hair. Iruka realized he was once again fidgeting with his baby hairs and pulled his hand away, just before Kakashi snapped his hair tie. His thick brown hair fell around his face, and his eyes widened.

“Ah, Kakashi-San, why did you do that?” He would’ve bet money that the silver haired man was smiling brightly under his mask, both pleased at his own antics, and at the way Iruka looked with his hair down. He set the snapped hair tie on the table between them, and tipped his head back happily as their sushi was finally delivered to them.

“Mah, Iruka, you just told me you wanted to change everything. I think your first step needs to be letting your hair down. So I did it for you.” He eye smiled at the chunin and once the waitress was gone, he pulled his mask down, revealing a beautifully pale, scarred face to Iruka, without batting an eyelash. Holy shit. Kakashi was showing him his face. He tried to look away, but he caught the Jounin shaking his head, as he moved to get a bite of sushi.

“I’ll help you Iruka. I’ll help you let your hair down. You can see my face, and think about my handsomeness every time you think about needing to adhere to such a strict schedule. When have I ever been on time, or stuck in my ways to such an extent? I’m the perfect role model. Let me help you get lost on the path of life?” Iruka recognized the line that Kakashi used every time he was late somewhere, his excuse that wasn’t really an excuse. He sighed and bit his lip, moving his chopsticks to poke at his sushi. He nodded his head slowly, and brought a bite up to his own lips. 

Kakashi smiled, a smile that was almost blinding, and somehow angelic to Iruka’s eyes. As they ate, Iruka explained how his day went, down to the embarrassing minutes he gave himself for each task. Kakashi listened intently, eating away at his food, and offering different ways that Iruka could break his habits. When the food was gone, and Iruka had explained everything he could think of, the silver haired man grabbed his hand and squeezed it. 

“I couldn’t help but latch onto the idea that you only give yourself ten minutes for showering. I think that should be the first thing we tackle.” Kakashi pulled his mask up so that they could leave the shop without anyone seeing his face, and tugged the younger man along behind him. Iruka blinked at the statement as he was led out of the shop. He cocked his head and let his fingers slip into Kakashi’s, and he couldn’t believe he was holding the copy nin’s hand. He was completely sober now, so there was no way he was going to forget that this happened.

“Why are we starting with the shower? Wouldn’t it be better to start at the beginning of the day and work out way through?” Iruka asked, watching as the jounin easily took them to the school teacher’s house. Everyone probably knew where he lived by now, due to his meticulous schedule. Kakashi turned back to look at him with his visible eye, and squeezed Iruka’s hand.

“We will begin tackling your daily schedule in the morning. But tonight, we are going to use up all of your hot water.” He winked at Iruka, and that was about the time the brunette noticed the inviting shake in Kakashi’s hips as he walked, and the cool fingers that brushed the inside of his wrist intimately.

“Oh…” he sounded dumb even to himself. “Oh you mean...you mean that.” He blushed and quickly nodded his head, picking up speed and walking beside Kakashi, instead of next to him.

“I..I can get on board with that.”

Kakashi’s eye gleamed in the dark. And when they got to Iruka’s home, they did indeed use up all the hot water.

**Author's Note:**

> Ahhh I got this idea for the June armada prompt, and I started writing it about a week ago, left it alone, and then came back today and just kind of bulldozed the rest of the way through it. I hope it turned out well. I like the idea, and I may write a follow up chapter for it in the future. But please don’t quote me on it haha. Thanks for reading, and any comments or kudos are always very loved! <3


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